Staff Reports
President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son Hunter has stirred up quite the buzz, prompting some to suggest that he follow up with a pardon for none other than Donald Trump. The mere idea of Biden granting clemency to Trump—who Democrats have long maligned as a threat to democracy—has led to raised eyebrows and snickers from political observers. Despite the far-fetched nature of the proposal, some have begun to argue that such a move could clear the air and mend fences, even if it sounds like a setup for a bad political stand-up routine.
Among those advocating for pardon parity is retiring Senator Joe Manchin, who believes that wiping the slate clean would foster a more congenial atmosphere in Congress. His reasoning? An olive branch to Trump might just quell the raging storm of anger and discord that has gripped the nation. Meanwhile, others, like Senator John Fetterman, have asserted that both Biden and Trump have been targets of politically motivated legal attacks, hinting that some form of judicial mercy could restore faith in a justice system that appears increasingly weaponized.
You can laugh all you want, but that's fact. Biden said clearly he would not pardon Hunter.
Something else you can think about while you're connecting the dots…. pic.twitter.com/eMsbZoxgHW
— SwampFoxAdjacent (@MartinBFox76) December 2, 2024
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles, which include felony convictions and looming sentences that could add up to a whopping 42 years, have only added fuel to the fire. The pardon Biden issued was sweeping, covering any offenses his son might have committed since 2014. This has ignited fierce criticism across the political spectrum, with Democrats lamenting the erosion of public trust in government while conservatives relish in pointing to yet another example of a two-tiered justice system.
The suggestion that Biden may extend the same courtesy to Trump raises even more eyebrows. Given the Democratic Party’s established narrative of Trump as a perilous figure, a pardon would surely upend that storyline. The prospect of such an event has elicited fervor from a cadre of Democrats, some outright dismissing the idea as ludicrous. Several senators have been quick to parry any suggestion of a Trump pardon, almost as if it were an inherited obligation to vehemently oppose anything that could potentially benefit the former president.
Backers of a Trump pardon argue that it could ease political tensions and be viewed as a magnanimous gesture. Such measures might benefit Biden politically—at least in theory—by presenting him as a statesman willing to unite rather than divide. However, the reality is far from straightforward, as Biden’s proposal wouldn’t touch Trump’s state-level legal troubles, leaving the former president’s legal quagmire very much in play regardless of federal pardons.
Ultimately, the whole situation resembles a high-stakes game of political poker, with Biden holding all the cards regarding Hunter, yet facing pushback at the notion of extending any favors to Trump. The world may never know if such an outlandish proposal reflects a genuine interest in justice or merely a way to attempt to release some political pressure. In any case, the partisan bickering is sure to continue louder than ever as both sides scramble to define the future of their respective heroes and villains.
